NMBS has staged another successful annual dinner dance with over 1,000 people attending the event, which took place on Saturday October 22nd at the 5-star Grosvenor House Hotel, London W1.
Guests represented a broad spectrum of NMBS’ 1,000+ merchant members and its portfolio of over 600 building industry suppliers. Before the evening’s four course meal and after-dinner entertainment, NMBS Chairman Tim Allen delivered a short welcoming address and spoke to the assembled guests about the spirit of being an independent merchant which entails passion, purpose and the freedom to think and act a little differently.
Tim also gave an update on NMBS current trading performance. The organisation is currently on target to achieve a turnover of £1.5Bn in 2016 – up over 8% on 2015 – and is well within budgeted costs and meeting all its key KPIs.
He pointed out that NMBS continues to provide the “very best trading platform” for suppliers to engage with the society’s independent merchant members, who collectively operate more than 3,000 branches and represent over £7Bn of annual sales – which is approx. 40% of the total market.
In addition, Tim used his speech to thank those NMBS suppliers who had generously sponsored the evening, the NMBS management team for continuing to grow and develop the business over the last twelve months, and NMBS’ merchant members for their on-going support.
NMBS also raised money on the night for its two chosen industry charities, The Rainy Day Trust and CRASH, through a combination of table donations, for a prize draw sponsored by Makita to win a bundle of Apple products, the sum collected being £12,000. The prize draw winner was revealed by the Master of the Worshipful Company of Builders Merchants, Steve Turner, as Glyn Maunder from Hope Cement.
Entertainment for the evening was provided by top recording artists Fleur East, Blake and The Northenettes who had guests packing the dance floor until the small hours.
Commenting on the 2016 NMBS Annual Dinner Dance, Managing Director Chris Hayward said: “This year’s dinner dance is the 52nd staged by NMBS and is always positioned as a big thank you to our members and suppliers for their tremendous support for NMBS.
“This year, as every year, it offered those attending exceptional networking opportunities and the chance to have fun, whilst celebrating the success that comes from independent merchants working together for the benefit of the wider building industry.
“On behalf of everyone who attended, I’d like to thank the NMBS events team – particularly NMBS Events Manager Sam Hunt and NMBS Board member Chris Bence – for staging such an enjoyable and successful evening.”
